History

Carrier-borne aircraft operations have always been a dangerous business. With the increase in available
speed and weight brought by the development of the jet engine, they were to become even more dangerous.
By the close of WWII, the Admiralty had already foreseen that research would be required into the
changes necessary during the transition from piston-engined aircraft to jets. One of the more unusual
ideas was to save weight and cut down landing accidents by having undercarriage-less aircraft. They would
be launched by a special catapult and would land on a flexible rubber deck. Trials were even carried out with
a mock deck at Farnborough, using Sea Vampire aircraft. After initial setbacks the concept proved
practical - just about, but even so, the Admiralty abandoned the idea. One of the better decisions in UK
defence procurement!

The first prototype, the type 544, WT854; Ministry of Supply

Supermarine had been developing a single-seat fighter aircraft to use flexible decks, the type 505. When the
Admiralty lost interest, the 505 was modified to use a conventional retractable undercarriage,
becoming the type 508. This was a straight-winged twin-engined jet with 'butterfly' (V-shaped) tail (in an
attempt to keep the tailplane clear of the jet exhaust and away from the deck). Originally three were to be built,
but as always things changed and while the second differed in detail and in having cannons installed (being
designated the type 529 as a result), the third underwent a large number of changes with swept wings, a conventional
swept tailfin instead of the v-tail and various other changes. This later aircraft looked much more like a
Scimitar ancestor, and was designated the type 525. First flown on 27th April 1954, the aircraft provided valuable
information for the Scimitar development. A de-navalised version known as the type 526 was offered to the RAF but
they were not interested. Then, during a normal test flight on 5th July 1955, the 525 entered a spin at 10,000 ft which
deteriorated into a flat spin from which the pilot, Lt. Cdr. Rickell, could not recover. Experiencing problems with
jettisoning the canopy and operating the ejector seat, unfortunately he ejected too late and the seat did not
have time to separate, nor did the parachute have time to fully deploy - he was killed on impact with the ground. The
aircraft was completely destroyed. It would be an indicator of things to come.

The second N113 prototype, WT859; Vickers

An order was placed for 100 production aircraft based on the type 525, to be designated
N113. Supermarine developed the 525 further, producing the new designation of type 544. The
single-seat fighter specification had been changed also; now the aircraft was to be a low level
strike aircraft with nuclear capability (no doubt as a result of test pilot reports on the 508/529/525s -
which were generally not complimentary about its abilities as a fighter). The fighter/interceptor
role would now be fulfilled by the de Havilland DH.110 design. The type 544,
like its predecessors, was powered by Rolls Royce Avons and these were, for the time, hugely powerful engines
with lots of excess thrust available. Vickers made use of this with a flap blowing system - redirecting part
of the high pressure air from the engine through thin slots ahead of the flaps. This delayed the onset of
boundary layer separation at low speeds, basically enabling the wing to continue to fly in a stable manner
at speeds much lower than normal. This allowed slower - and safer - approach speeds when landing, highly
desirable for the demanding business of landing on a tiny carrier deck. The first N113 flew on
19th January 1956 and was quickly followed by two more. Deck trials on HMS Ark Royal began in
April but the first two N113s were not particularly representative of the final Scimitar so
more trials were planned for early 1957. Meanwhile, trials continued. The power of the twin
Avon engines was amply demonstrated when one pilot made a successful take-off with the parking
brake still on!

N113 WW134 onboard Ark Royal in January 1957 for deck trials

In January 1957, the more representative 3rd N113, WW134, began trials on Ark Royal. This
aircraft was strengthened for the new low-level role and had various aerodynamic 'fixes' applied such
as flared-out wingtips and wing fences, to try and counter pitch-up effects at high speed and altitude
(similar problems having previously been experienced with the Swift).
The tailplane was also changed from having dihedral (angled up) to anhedral (angled down). The
N113's powered controls caused some concern when it was realised the high roll rates made possible
could cause structural damage. However, the strengthening introduced for the low level role was
found to be sufficient to allay these fears. The first Scimitar proper came off the production line
in January too, and flew on the 11th.

First production F.1, XD212; via E. B. Morgan

While the first production Scimitar was retained for some time by Supermarine to continue
trials and development, the navy was busy figuring out how best to evaluate the new aircraft.
A new unit, 700X Flight (part of 700 NAS), was formed to carry out the task. Deliveries of Scimitars to 700X
at Royal Naval Air Station Ford began in August 1957 and the squadron carried
out their evaluation task in an intensively noisy fashion until late May 1958. For the residents of this
small West Sussex village, the arrival of the hugely powerful Scimitar was an unwelcome shock after the relatively
quiet Attackers, Sea Hawks and Gannets they had been used to prior to this point (and about which a near constant stream of
complaints were already being received). 700X's intensive flight operations with the type won them few friends with
the locals, but enabled a quick and relatively painless introduction of the Scimitar into front line service. The locals
ended up with peace and quiet as the air station closed later that year - and an open prison was built on it. Most would
have preferred to keep the Scimitars!

XD230 - the first production Scimitar F.1 with guns & radar at RNAS Ford in March 1958

Early experience with the type found that the view over the nose was generally good but could be improved when in
the nose-high landing attitude - the only significant shape change to the airframe was the result, with a slimmer (and
considerably more attractive) nose cone being fitted as standard. A similarly styled nose with various cameras could
also be fitted for photo reconaissance operations. The first frontline Scimitar squadron to be formed was 803 NAS. After working up at RNAS
Lossiemouth and participating in the 1960 Farnborough SBAC show, they embarked on HMS Victorious.
Unfortunately, 803's commanding officer was killed in a landing accident when his aircraft went
over the side and sank before he could escape, in full view of the assembled press who splashed
photos of the trapped pilot over the next day's front pages. While the incident would bring in much
improved underwater escape training, it would only be the first in a long line of Scimitar losses (though
this first one was due to arrestor wire failure, not a problem with the aircraft).

The Scimitar was, at the time of its introduction, the heaviest and most powerful aircraft
ever to serve in the Fleet Air Arm. While innovations such as angled decks helped, the situation
with these large and fast aircraft and small aircraft carriers meant that take-offs and landings
were an increasingly dangerous business. While the Americans simply built bigger carriers, this
luxury was not available to the RN, which was becoming increasingly pressurised to save money,
not spend it. The Scimitar's design included a tail bumper so that the aircraft could be rested
on it for take-off, with the nosewheel high in the air, actually off the deck. The increased
angle of attack meant the less powerful catapults on the RN's small carriers could still manage
to bring a heavy (and heavily loaded) aircraft like the Scimitar to flying speed. The margins, however,
were tight and there was little room for error.

F.1 XD269 goes over the side of HMS Victorious after a brake failure, 10th July 1961

Accidents began to mount up - hydraulic failures, in-flight fires, landing accidents by the dozen, ditchings
and plain old crashes. The general consensus these days is that the RN was simply not experienced
enough in operating such an advanced and heavy aircraft. The limited size of the carriers also meant that
landing accidents became far more serious than they would otherwise have been. In all, 76 Scimitars
were actually produced (the last batch of 24 having been cancelled), and no less than 39 were lost
in a variety of accidents - an attrition rate of over 51% over the Scimitar's service life! Also
worrying was the increasing workload on the single pilot during long low-level strike missions
(the two-seat Scimitar having been dropped at an early stage).

Scimitar F.1s of 800 NAS at Farnborough, 1961; J. M. G. Gradidge

The accidents and workload worries did not, however, stop the Scimitar squadrons from putting
on some spectacular airshow appearances. Even in their first year of squadron service, Scimitars
put on a stunning show at the 1959 Farnborough SBAC show, which included a variety of role demos
including one Scimitar using an extended arrestor hook to pick up a banner target from the runway.
The 'twinkle roll' was also born at that show - when aircraft fly in formation and all quickly
roll simultaneously. Later shows would see increasingly large formations of Scimitars, with nine
being shown off in the 1961 show. The type's early career, before full air to ground weapons fit
was approved, involved a lot of 'fun flying' - relatively light weight payloads, a high performance jet and
the whole ethos of the elite single seat fighter set meant a Scimitar posting was a glamorous and
sought-after job.

Scimitar F.1 XD235; via Zvi Kreisler

Scimitars never saw any action, though they did help prevent a possible
war when the Royal Navy was sent to the Gulf to block the increasingly hostile Iraqis from invading
Kuwait in 1961. They were also prepared for a basic ground attack role using guns only in the
Indonesian campaign. Trials work with various weapon types saw a succession of lethal objects hung underneath
Scimitars including 2 and 3 inch unguided rockets, 500 and 1000 lb bombs, AGM-45 Bullpup air to ground guided
missiles (described by pilots as great fun, but utterly useless as a weapon of war due to the requirement to
fly along after it once fired to guide it, thus putting the aircraft into just as much danger as simply going in
and bombing the target) and AIM-9 Sidewinder air to air missiles for self-defence (the Sea Vixen
was entering service by now and taking over the fighter role). The carriage of a single nuclear bomb - the nominally 2,000 lb
(actually 1,750 lb) Red Beard - was also trialled successfully, and practice of the appropriate release techniques with dummy 'shapes' was
carried out from time to time, and also regularly practiced with much smaller practice bombs. The real weapons were
never flown by carrier-based Scimitars, as the risks of a take off or landing accident were felt to be too high to risk 'live'
practice sorties in peacetime - indeed the weapons were stored in component form aboard the carriers for safety, and permission to assemble
them was never given in peacetime. Each aircraft carrier rarely had more than a handful of such weapons.

Soon, however, the increasing difficulty of the low-level attack role with what was a fairly basic navigation system,
and the type's mounting losses meant that the navy relegated the Scimitar to 2nd-line duties while the much more capable
Blackburn Buccaneer was brought into service. The Buccaneer Mk.1's underpowered engines meant that early Buccaneers
could not take off with a full load of fuel and weapons, so Scimitars were used to provide
'buddy' refuelling; that way the Buccaneers could take off with minimum fuel and save their
precious thrust for carrying a respectable weapon load! Other duties for Scimitars in their
last months of service were towing target banners, providing radar targets for calibration of
ground-based radar sets and a myriad of other unglamorous but essential roles. The last
frontline squadron (803 NAS) relinquished their Scimitars in October 1966. The Fleet
Requirements Unit (FRU, later FRADU) operated Scimitars using civilian pilots for a time too;
from 1965 to the end of 1970. So it was that December 1970 saw the last flight of the
last Supermarine fighter.

Despite the appalling accident rate, the Scimitar was generally well thought of by its pilots and has been
described by many as 'a delight to fly' - at least below 25,000 ft - above that, the limitations that gave it a very
short life in the fighter role became painfully apparent and handling was much less carefree than at low level.
Scimitar maintainers did not have to undergo the pain of some of their RAF counterparts on types such as the Lightning;
though the complex fuel system generated leaks by the dozen and hydraulic problems kept them busy, in general the type
was straightforward to maintain. It was certainly a more successful design than Supermarine's other swept wing jet - the Swift.

Leading Particulars

Variant

Type 508

Type 529

Type 525

Type 544/N113D

F.1

First flight

31 Aug 1951

29 Aug 1952

27 Apr 1954

19 Jan 56

11 Jan 1957

Crew

One

Armament

None

Four 30mm cannon

None

Four 30mm cannon, up to four 1,000lb bombs or four AGM-45 Bullpup AGMs or four AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs; 2" or 3" rockets, 2,000lb Red Beard nuclear bomb

Powerplant

2 x 6,500 lb Rolls-Royce Avon RA 3

2 x 7,500 lb RR Avon RA7

2 x 10,000 lb RR Avon RA24

2 x 10,000 lb RR Avon RA24/26, later 11,500 lb Avon 200 series

Max. speed

524 kt / 0.89 Mach

562 kt / 0.954 Mach

640 kt / 0.968 Mach

Service ceiling

50,000 ft

?

46,000 ft

Range

?

1,422 miles

Empty weight

18,850 lb

19,910 lb

23,962 lb

Max. take off weight

25,630 lb

28,169 lb

34,200 lb

Wing span

41 ft

37 ft 2 in

Wing area

340 sq ft

450 sq ft

484.9 sq ft

Length *

50 ft

50 ft 6 in

53 ft 0.4 in

55 ft 3 in

Height *

12 ft 4 in

14 ft 11 in

17 ft 4 in

Production

1

1

1

3

76

* Lengths are for standard nose cone and do not include instrumentation boom on early aircraft or IFR probe on later ones. Heights are with wings spread and aircraft on jacks with undercarriage legs at full extension and wheels just touching the ground.

Visitor Comments

49 people have commented on this page. This is comment section 1 of 5.

J Stevenson from West Yorkshire

Posted at 4:09pm on Saturday, January 6th, 2018

They were known as "Puppies" since they continualy left puddles wherever they were parked.
As far as I am aware the FAA museum at Yeovilton has a V tail Scimitar hidden away. I fell off the thing in 1973 or 74 when I found out the hard way that the ground locks for the flaps had been replaced by wooden pins. I was part of a MARTSU team moving it from "Seahawk" (RNAS Helston)where it had been used to train handlers in ground handling, towing or pushing to the required spot, to the museum... read more »read more »

John Waller from Somerton Somerset

Posted at 3:38pm on Saturday, January 31st, 2015

On Completion of training I put in for a draft to RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, I was surprised to say the least when I found myself doing a Joining Routine at HMS Fulmar (PNAS Lossiemouth) in Scotland. Naval Drafting had a weird sense of humour!!

Alan Nicholson (Nick) from Edinburgh

Posted at 8:31pm on Friday, September 19th, 2014

Sandy Davis:Lieutenant Skrodski was also affectionately referred to as Skrodders by the maintenance crew on 803 Sqdn. I was on this sqdn as a Leading Electrical Mechanic 1965/66 during a year long deployment. Following his accidents I believe he did not want to continue with his flying duties (understandable) until at some date following our return to Lossiemouth I heard that he was on 764 Sqdn either doing an AWI course or instructing same. He died of his injuries on the 31/10/69 in hospital a couple of ho... read more »read more »

Simon Liebert from Bristol, UK

Posted at 10:57am on Tuesday, May 13th, 2014

On page 212 of Air Britain book "The Scimitar File", the general arrangement drawing gives two spans for the tailplane. 17 foot 2 1/2" and 15 foot 6 1/2" (pre mod 746). No other reference to Mod 746 can be found in this book. Can anyone shed any light on why this Mod was made and how it related to airframe production (if it did).

Many thanks

Simon

Sandy Davis from Fife

Posted at 11:50am on Wednesday, February 5th, 2014

I came across this site when researching the career of the late Lieutenant Zbigniew Skrodski, who flew Scimitars off Ark Royal - and jettisoned two of them. 'Spig' or 'Bush' as he was also known, was a year behind me at Bell Baxter School, Cupar. He came to an untimely end following his third ejection, this time from a Hunter T8B which suffered a catastrophic engine failure on take-off. I would be interested in learning more about Spig from anyone who served with him. This would be posted to Bell Baxter's o... read more »read more »

John Flexman from Malaysia

Posted at 10:16am on Tuesday, December 10th, 2013

I served on 803 Squadron as a young Scimitar pilot based on HMS Hermes during 1962 - 63. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience (312 deck landings)and have written a book "Aviation at the Edge" in which the first 20% is about 803 operations.

Richard Laister from north tawton devonshire

Posted at 10:44pm on Monday, August 26th, 2013

My brother, Lieutenant RN [Thomas] Mark Laister crashed fatally in Huntly , Scotland, in a Scimitar in September 1961, aged 24. he had been stationed at RNAS Lossiemouth and I have never really been informed of the circumstances of his accident. Did anyone know him, or tell me anything about the cause of the accident?

Dave Edwards from Chorley, Lancs

Posted at 12:46am on Monday, June 10th, 2013

I was on various courses at the School of Aircraft Handling, RNAS Culdrose, during the middle to late sixties where the prototype Scimitar(the one with the butterfly tail)was in use for flight deck operations training on the dummy deck and I actually had to push it around an obstacle course for my final test on the tractor course(I passed!) I have read in various books that both prototypes were removed in the 50's but one was definitely still giving good service during my time in the pusser FLY NAVY

Jerry (Jay) Dunning from Geelong, Victoria

Posted at 11:08pm on Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

Was on board when she made her visit to Perth, Australia in 1961. Great run ashore! I'm still looking for Jim (Dodger) Long (Chinese laundry number 0909) of 800 Sq.
Loved the Scimitars; great lumbering things they were!
I watched the Ark get launched as a nine year old but never thought I'd ever sail on her! Great memories!
I was a Ganges boy with the cane marks on my bum to prove it! Great days? Naaaw!!
By the way, is R. Miles (Auckland) the Roy Miles I used to know from Lossie? Comes from Dorset?
Ch... read more »read more »

Jerry (Jay) Dunning from Geelong, Victoria

Posted at 11:01pm on Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

Was on board when she made her visit to Perth, Australia in 1961. Great run ashore! I'm still looking for Jim (Dodger) Long (Chinese laundry number 0909) of 800 Sq.
Loved the Scimi's; great lumbering things they were!
I watched the Ark get launched as a nine year old - never thought I'd ever sail on her! Great memories!
I was a Ganges boy with the cane marks on my bum to prove it! Great days? Naaaw!!